Submission Guidelines | Journal of Marketing Research

First-time authors will be required to create a Manuscript Central user account in order to proceed. Each submission must adhere to the guidelines set forth below; those that do not follow the guidelines will be returned to the author for correction. If you have any questions, please contact us at jmr@ama.org.

JMR manuscripts are judged not only on the depth and scope of the ideas presented and their contributions to the field but also on their clarity and whether they can be read and understood. Readers have varied backgrounds. Thus, the following guidelines should be followed:

Write in an interesting, readable manner with varied sentence structure, and use active voice. Use as little passive voice as possible.

Avoid using technical terms that few readers are likely to understand. If you use these terms, include definitions. Remember: The journal is designed to be read, not deciphered.

Keep sentences short so the reader does not get lost before the end of a sentence.

To facilitate the double-blind peer-review process, each submission should be broken into two separate files: (1) Title Page and (2) Main Document. Identifying information should not appear anywhere within the main document file.

Abstract The abstract is limited to 175 words and summarizes the key components of the manuscript, offering the reader a sample of the manuscript.

KeywordsInclude 4–5 primary keywords that best suit the topic of the manuscript; these do not necessarily need to match the “Topics/Methods” that are selected in Manuscript Central upon submission.

Main TextPlease do not add any headers/footers on each page (other than the page number). Headings are text only (not numbered) and are formatted according to level.

PRIMARY HEADING: Centered, capitalized, and italicized, with an extra return before and after.

SECONDARY HEADING: Flush left with title-style capitalization (first letter of each word) and italicized. You must have at least two sections beginning with a secondary heading; if there is only one, the heading should be excluded.

TERTIARY HEADING: Left justified and indented with sentence-style capitalization (first word only) in italics. Punctuate the heading with a period and begin the first line of the same section on the same line. If only one tertiary heading is used, the heading should be excluded.

Mathematical NotationsEquations should be centered on the page. If equations are numbered, type the number in parentheses flush with the left margin. Please avoid using Equation Editor for simple in-line mathematical copy, symbols, and equations. Type these in Word instead, using the “Symbol” function when necessary.

ReferencesReferences begin on their own page and are listed in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name. Only references cited within the text are included.

FootnotesFootnotes are to be used sparingly and must be concise. No more than 10 total footnotes should appear in a manuscript and each note cannot exceed 40 words. Format footnotes in plain text, with a superscript number appearing in text and the corresponding note after the reference section.

TablesTables should not appear within the text but at the end of the document. Each table should be numbered consecutively and submitted on a separate page. Please indicate appropriate table placement in the text (“Insert Table 1 about here”). Tables must be numbered in the order in which they are to appear.

FiguresFigures should not appear within the text but follow any tables.Each figure should be numbered consecutively and submitted on a separate page. Please indicate appropriate figure placement in the text (“Insert Figure 1 about here”). Figures must be numbered in the order in which they are to appear. The term “figure” refers to a variety of material, including line drawings, maps, charts, graphs, diagrams, photos, and Web shots, among others.

The cost of color printing is borne by the authors, so you may consider gray scaling images prior to submission.

AppendixIf Appendixes are provided, they appear on a new page after the figures. Multiple appendixes are labeled with letters (Appendix A, Appendix B). A single appendix is labeled without letters (Appendix). Multiple appendixes must be numbered in the order in which they are to appear.

Web AppendixJMR supports Web appendixes for all papers. This enables authors to provide data for replication or deep understanding that would be difficult put in the paper version. Examples of content for a Web appendix include:

Analytic proof or derivations that are not central to the substantive contribution of the paper.

Detail on experimental of sampling design.

Means and correlations of variables for survey work.

Results of subsidiary analyses or tests.

Content for the Web appendix should be labeled “Web Appendix” and should appear after any regular appendixes. Web appendixes with multiple parts should be clearly labeled Web Appendix A, Web Appendix B, and so on.

Note that there can also be a technical appendix that is part of the paper. To view additional guidelines for Web appendixes, see Accepted Manuscript Preparation.​​

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